The present invention relates to the structure of an outdoor communication device such as the base station device of a radio communication equipment.
As shown in FIG. 6A, a conventional outdoor communication device of this type comprises a rectangular parallelepiped casing 21, a cover 23 for covering an opening portion of the casing 21, and light-shielding plates 24 respectively mounted on the front surface, two side surfaces, and top surface of the casing 21 via fixing members 25 to cover almost all the surfaces (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-201996). As shown in FIG. 6B, a plurality of units 6 are stacked/mounted in the casing 21 at predetermined intervals. The units 6 respectively comprise storing cases 6b for separately storing electrical circuits including circuit parts, and printed circuit boards 6a on which the electrical circuits in the storing cases 6b are mounted. Reference numerals 22 denote cables for connecting the respective units 6 via connectors 22a.
In the above structure, the casing 21, the cover 23, and the light-shielding plate 24 are respectively made of thin metal sheets or the like. The cover 23 is fixed to the casing 21 via a hinge so that the opening portion can be freely opened/closed. Fixing members 25 are fixed to the casing 21 and the cover 23 by spot welding. As shown in FIG. 5, a communication device 20 is mounted on a mounting base 26 fixed to a telephone pole 28 with fixing members 27. A wiring bundle 29 is fixed to the telephone pole 28 with a fixing member 30 to extend along the longitudinal direction of the telephone pole 28.
According to the structure of the above conventional outdoor communication device, however, a large number of parts are required: the cover 23 for covering the opening portion of the casing 21, the four light-shielding plates 24, the fixing members 25 for fixing the light-shielding plates 24, the hinge for allowing the cover 23 to be freely opened/closed, the cables 22 for connecting the respective units to each other, and the like. In addition, a large number of manufacturing steps are required. Consequently, the device is high in cost. Consider the problem of wind resistance, as well, which cannot be avoided because the device is designed for outdoor use. Since the casing has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, wind pressure will act on a large area of the casing. For this reason, the mounting base 26, the light-shielding plates 24, and the fixing members 25 must be high in strength. This also leads to an increase in cost. Furthermore, the units 6 are fixed in accordance with the rectangular parallelepiped shape of the casing 21. Owing to this fixing method, the mounting efficiency deteriorates. With a tendency to give priority to the function and increase in thickness and length, a communication device tends to lose harmony with the environment in which the device is installed, thus spoiling the appearance of the surroundings.